Gardiner Lake Fishing in District Municipality of Muskoka, Ontario

• Overview

  Set in District Municipality of Muskoka, Gardiner Lake is an Ontario water. It sits in pine and birch. At 9 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our District Municipality of Muskoka list. Some 12 km away sits Huntsville, the nearest settlement. It is 98 km to Barrie, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Gardiner Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for District Municipality of Muskoka include pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass and northern pike. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Treat Gardiner Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -11°C in January up to 18°C in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about early December in a typical year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Gardiner Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Clearwater Lake is 2.4 km distant. Check the position at Gardiner Lake before loading the car.